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The decision to bring a second UK aircraft carrier into service is a "relief", a campaign group has said.

Director of the UK National Defence Association Andy Smith said: "There has been uncertainty over this for far too long. The Government have realised at last the value that having two carriers will bring to the nation's defence and to our global power projection.

"But we hope this announcement is the first in a series of new commitments from the Government to invest in Britain's military capabilities. SDSR (Strategic Defence and Security Review) 2010 was a massive blow to British defence, bringing cut after cut, but now ministers have an opportunity to take a fresh look at defence provision and to give us a strategic review which is defence-led, and not Treasury-led, as the last SDSR was."

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has said the struggle against Islamic State would take "months and possibly years" and could not be resolved simply by swift air strikes.

Michael Fallon said Nato countries would each have to decide whether to join military action. Credit: Yui Mok/PA Wire

Asked how Britain would respond to a request for air strikes against IS forces from the new Iraqi government expected to be formed in the next few days, Mr Fallon told BBC News: "Each country will have to respond and parliaments across Nato will have to come to their own decisions as to whether they are prepared to get behind military action to halt the advance of Isil.

"Air strikes alone aren't going to defeat Isil. This has to be done on a much broader scale, it has to involve all of us in the alliance standing together, it has to involve other countries in the Middle East, and it's an engagement that is going to take months and possibly years."

He said the Nato countries had "all now come together" on the understanding that cooperation with governments in the Middle East would be required to "halt the advance of Isil and start to drive it back.

ACTED, the charity which employs British Islamic State hostage David Haines has said the threats on his life are "intolerable" and has called for his immediate release.

ACTED is deeply shocked by the images broadcasted earlier this week. The threats on David Haines' life are intolerable.

David has been working as a humanitarian since 1999, helping victims of conflict in the Balkans, Africa and the Middle East. When he was taken hostage in March 2013, David was in Syria as part of ACTED's humanitarian effort in support of tens of thousands of people affected by the crisis.

We have been mobilized from day one with David's family. More than ever, we are pursuing our efforts, and our thoughts are with David and his family.
ACTED strongly condemns the violence and threats against David. A man's life should never be threatened on account of his humanitarian commitment.

ACTED, the charity which employs Islamic State hostage David Haines, today said it is "deeply shocked" by the images broadcast earlier this week. It added: "The threats on David Haines' life are intolerable."